University of Mobile Athletics History

The University of Mobile intercollegiate athletic program began in 1985 and since that time has won eight national championships.  The first of those championships came from the men's tennis team in 1993 followed by the women's tennis team in 1994.  The men's golf team won their first national title in spring of 1997, the same year the women's soccer team won their first title in the fall of 1997.  The men's tennis team, the only UM team to win two national titles, won their second title in 1997 and the women's golf team won their first championship in 1998.  The men's soccer team won its first and only national championship in the fall of 2002 and the women's softball team has followed suit and won the 2006 NAIA National Championship.

Dr. Bill Elder was hired as the University of Mobile's first Athletic Director in 1985 with the goal to begin and develop a strong, well-balanced athletic program. Glancing at the many accomplishments garnered by the various athletic teams and its members verifies that the program has come a long way in a very short time. The program has expanded from 14 athletes in just two sports in 1986 to over 250 athletes in 14 current sports in 2005. Currently, the University of Mobile competes in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's junior varsity soccer, fast-pitch softball and women's tennis. Additionally, women's volleyball started in the fall of 2005 under coaches Jon and Amber Campell.

Recent accomplishments of the University of Mobile Athletic Department include the softball team bringing home a national championship for the 2006 season and the men's golf team winning the Region XIII Championship. The men's soccer team winning its first national championship in 2002, the softball team finishing as national runner-up at the NAIA national tournament in 2003, baseball winning its first regional championship and qualifying for its first ever College World Series in 2001, the 1998 women's soccer team finishing as a runner-up in the national tournament and winning the NAIA national championship in 1997 have been other fine accomplishments for Ram Athletics. The men's basketball program lost a nail biter in the national championship game in 1999 and returned to the NAIA Final Four in 2004. The men's golf team finished in seventh place at the NAIA national tournament in 2000 and had the individual champion, David Tuyo, while the women's golf team placed fourth at the NAIA national tournament in 2000.

In addition, every University of Mobile sport from women's basketball to cross-country, has won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship title in their respective sport. Also, the men's and women's cheerleading squad finished in 12th place at their first-ever UCA College Cheerleading National competition in the NCAA Division II competition in 2001.

Click on a sport below to view its history.